Clerk’s office examines voting for ballot questions over the past 10 years
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cass Cliatt
Friday, April 01, 2005
Cook County Clerk David Orr’s office has issued an unprecedented analysis of referendums appearing on suburban Cook County ballots over the past 10 years.
Local jurisdictions in suburban Cook County have put 891 referendums before voters during elections in the past decade, with 57 percent winning voter support.
An examination of referendums beginning with the primary election of 1995 and ending with the primary election of 2005 showed that suburban residents said “yes” to service-related referendums – dealing with such far-ranging initiatives as street cleaning, establishing senior programs and enhanced emergency 911 service – almost 77 percent of the time. Tax-related referendums fared the worst with an approval rate of 51 percent.
Ballot questions in categories related to infrastructure, changes in government and a category of miscellaneous initiatives – such as annexations and airport construction – earned approval from voters 63 to 66 percent of the time.
“Suburban Cook County voters overwhelmingly support more services in their local communities, infrastructure improvements and initiatives they think may streamline local governments,” Orr said. “Not surprisingly, residents are more hesitant about referendums they fear might affect their pocketbooks.”
Orr’s 10-year referendum report also indicated that suburban voters were most amenable to ballot questions posed countywide and by townships. Approval ratings were lower over the years for all other types of jurisdictions.
The analysis studied support for referendum questions by each jurisdiction type for cities and villages; townships; park, library, school, fire and sanitary districts; and the county.
Approval ratings were 100 percent and 75 percent respectively for countywide and township referendums, but didn’t reach 60 percent for any other type of jurisdiction. Park district referendums, which usually called for tax increases, were the least popular at 45 percent approval.
Other notable findings over the 10-year period:
- Voters were 26 percent more likely to support tax increases through bond issues than direct tax adjustments, voting “yes” for 69 percent of bond-issue referendums, versus 43 percent for strictly worded tax referendums.
- Referendums asking voters for tax increases to pay for services also enjoyed higher support than strictly worded tax referendums, 62 percent versus 43 percent.
- Referendums posed to voters in primary elections won approval almost 5 percent more often than those during general elections.
- Voters approved changes to city and village government only 53.5 percent of the time, but support for government-related changes for every other jurisdiction was almost 100 percent.
- Suburban cities and villages put the most referendum questions on ballots over the past 10 years, 37.7 percent. School districts were a close second at 31.4 percent.
The full report is available at www.voterinfonet.com:
Analysis of Suburban Cook County Referendums: Feb. 1995-Feb.2005
For more information about the report, call Cass Cliatt, (312) 603-0931.
The questions put before voters: Categorizing the data
60.3 percent -- Tax-related referendums
At 60.3 percent, the large majority of referendums on suburban ballots since 1995 were solely tax related. These 537 ballot questions included referendums seeking voter approval for adjustments to tax rates, tax caps and tax extensions, as well as ballot questions that would affect taxes through the issue of bonds.
11 percent – Government referendums
Government-related referendums -- dealing with such issues as term limits, changing how elected officers are appointed, consolidating units of government, changing the form of government, and establishing home-rule authority – numbered 98 over the past decade, or 11 percent.
7.7 percent – Infrastructure referendums
Almost 8 percent of referendums dealt with infrastructure improvements. There were 69 ballot questions asking voters solely if they approve of the construction of new buildings, street maintenance, development plans, water systems or other capital projects. The wording of many of these referendums was advisory in nature and did not focus on the cost of funding the improvements. Again, ballot questions focusing on collecting funds for the improvements were counted among tax referendums.
4.8 percent – Service referendums
The smallest number of referendums, 4.8 percent, asked voters to support changes in the services offered by city, village, township and county governments. Included in these 43 ballot questions were such services as establishing senior housing, residential parking, ambulance service, fee-based recreation, expanding emergency 911 operations and library service for towns with municipal libraries.
School, park, fire and library jurisdictions did not appear in this category – although the argument could be made that they are exclusively service-based institutions – unless their ballot questions dealt with changes to a specific service program.
Also, while costs may have been associated with the service initiatives, the dominant service language for referendums in this category overshadowed references to the cost to voters. Referendums in which funding for these improvements dominated the ballot question were placed in the tax category.
16.2 percent – Miscellaneous referendums
Defying definition were 144 referendums presented to voters in the past 10 years that were mostly advisory in nature. These asked voters if they would support annexations, airport changes, gambling expansion, residency requirements for municipal staff and scores of other wide-ranging initiatives. Also included were referendums for which the dated records for the ballot questions were incomplete or unclear.
The numbers – A quick view
In every reference to voter support, the analysis counts the majority referendum votes cast only in suburban Cook County. For ballot questions posed by jurisdictions that cross county borders, the Cook County Clerk’s analysis examines only the approval rates for voters in suburban Cook County.
Referendums per calendar year* – 1995-2005(Feb.)
Calendar year Ref. requests Passed % Passed
1995 100 53 53.0%
1996 88 47 53.4%
1997 83 51 61.4%
1998 82 50 61.0%
1999 42 16 38.1%
2000 101 67 66.3%
2001 58 33 56.9%
2002 133 69 51.9%
2003 76 55 72.4%
2004 123 65 52.8%
2005 – Feb. 5 4 80.0%
Totals 891 510 57.2%
*Multiple elections (primaries and general elections) were held in most years
Referendums by jurisdiction type – 1995-2005(Feb.)
(See report detail: How residents voted)
Jurisdiction/ Ref. % of all Passed % Passed
district type requests refs
Countywide 6 0.7% 6 100 %
Fire 55 6.2% 30 54.5%
Library 73 8.2% 43 58.9%
Municipal 336 37.7% 197 58.6%
(city/village)
Park districts 111 12.5% 50 45.0%
Sanitary 2 0.2% 0 00.0%
School 280 31.4% 163 58.2%
Townships 28 3.1% 21 75.0%
Totals refs 891 100.0% 510 57.2%
Approval rates by referendum request type – 1995-2005(Feb.)
(See report detail: The questions put before voters)
Ref. type Requests % of Total Passed % Passed
Infrastructure 69 7.7% 44 63.8%
Government 98 11.0% 64 65.3%
Service 43 4.8% 33 76.7%
Tax & Bond 537 60.3% 274 51.0%
Miscellaneous 144 16.2% 95 66.0%
Totals 891 100% 510 57.2%